Do You Remember The First Time? The 50 Best Debut Singles

Let's pick half a ton of excellent debuts. EPs, compilation tracks and so on are not included! We're looking at singles that were made specifically as singles.

1. The Beatles - Love Me Do

The Beatles' first outing comes in the form of this infectious ditty, which features on the Side 2 of The Fab Four's 1963 Please Please Me album. The track, which was backed by P.S. I Love You was first released in the UK on 5 October 1962.

2. Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK

The incendiary call to arms from the greatest punk band of all was released on the EMI label on 26 November 1976. However, the label kicked them off the imprint following a foul-mouthed TV appearance... That's showbiz!

3. Blur - She's So High

The first outing by the band formerly known as Seymour was released in October 1990, but only made a lowly No 48 in the UK charts. The cover, featuring a painting by Mel Ramos depicted a naked girl riding on a hippo… which immediately brought the band accusations of sexism.

4. Nirvana - Love Buzz

Not their best-known song, by any stretch of the imagination, but as a wacky statement of intent, it's second to none. Released on the legendary Sub Pop label in November 1988, it was a cover of a 1969 song by the Dutch band Shocking Blue, best known for their hit Venus. Which was covered by Bananarama. Small world, innit?

5. Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices

The original version of this track was Bloc Party's first release, on the Trash Aesthetics label in February 2004.

6. Radiohead - Creep

The 'Head released the Drill EP in May 1992, but it was this bona fide classic that was their first single proper that September. On its first release, it only made No 78 after Radio 1 refused to play it for being "too depressing". A re-release the following year made No 7. In your face, Radio 1!

7. Suede - The Drowners

First released on 11 May 1992 and boasting pleasingly androgynous sleeve artwork, this was the opening salvo from Brett Anderson and company. Britpop was just around the corner.

8. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz

An absolutely stonking first effort from the trio of Gaz Coombes, Danny Goffey and Mick Quinn, telling the story of a young chap who is caught red-handed in possession of some illicit substances. It just missed out on the UK Top 40, making #43.

9. The Killers - Mr Brightside

Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning's timeless tale of relationships and paranoia was released as the band's debut single in September 2003. It was backed by the equally excellent Smile Like You Mean It and made No 10 in the UK Charts.

10. The View - Wasted Little DJs

The Scottish band's tribute to Pig Latin was released on 8 August 2006 and went to No 1 in Scotland, while making No 15 across the UK.

11. Inspiral Carpets - Joe

Our very own Clint Boon and his garage revivalists had issued the famous DUNG 4 demo cassette and two EPs before releasing their first single proper in May 1989. It told the tale of a homeless man that the band knew and the flip featured the excellent live favourite Commercial Rain.

12. Elastica - Stutter

Originally released in November 1993 on the excellent Deceptive label, this was one of the key early Britpop songs and later appeared on the band's self-titled debut album two years later.

13. Bjork - Human Behaviour

After a successful career as the singer in the Icelandic band The Sugarcubes, Bjork went solo with this idiosyncratic outing that teased ahead to her acclaimed album Debut. The video, featuring a malevolent teddy bear stalking through the woods helped, too.

14. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's fictitious cartoon band had released an EP, Tomorrow Comes Today, at the tail end of 2000, but this was their first single, trailing the forthcoming self-titled debut album.

15. Florence And The Machine - Kiss With A Fist

The controversial debut from Ms Welch was released on 9 June 2008 on the uber-cool Moshi Moshi label. It later appeared on Flo's debut album Lungs.

16. Alt J - Tessellate

The debut single from ∆ (as they were calling themselves then) was a double-header with Bloodflood back in 2011.

17. Joy Division - Transmission

The peerless Manchester band had already recorded and released the Ideal For Living EP in 1977, an aborted debut album and their debut album proper, Unknown Pleasures, by the summer of 1979. So their first custom-made single was something of an afterthought - but what a stormer!

18. Foo Fighters - This Is A Call

Drummers in rock had historically not been too successful when going solo (see: Ringo Starr, the guy out of Kiss), so hopes were not high when Dave Grohl announced his solo project. But he surprised the world with this excellent track, issued in June 1995.

19. Franz Ferdinand - Darts Of Pleasure

Huh, you thought Take Me Out was the debut? No, it was Darts Of Pleasure, back in September 2003, which just missed out on the UK Top 40.

20. Editors - Bullets

Originally released in January 2005, this was the Birmingham band's first release, which was reissued that September off the back of the excellent album The Back Room.

21. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Released on 14 October 2005, this storming debut shot straight to No 1 in the UK singles chart. However, Alex Turner was keen to emphasise: "Don't believe the hype."

22. Embrace - All You Good Good People

This instant classic was released on the much-loved Fierce Panda label back in February 1997 as a limited edition of 500 copies.

23. Elbow - Red

Released on 23 April 2001 as a teaser for the debut Asleep In The Back, this followed the Noisebox EP, which was issued over three years earlier!

24. The Charlatans - Indian Rope

Before The Only One I Know came this great debut single, released on the band's own Dead Dead Good label in February 1990. Copies quickly sold out, so it was released in June the following year.

25. Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop

Da Brudders opened their account at the Bank Of Rock And Roll with this immortal 45, released in April 1976 on Sire Records. A lot of soon-to-be-punks were listening on both sides of the Atlantic.

26. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks

Originally released by the young Derry band in September 1978, it was re-issued a month later on the major label Sire. Despite being one of the most famous songs to come out of the punk era (and John Peel's favourite song of all time), it only made No 31 in the charts.

27. Pearl Jam - Alive

Eddie Vedder and co rode the wave of grunge when they released their debut single in 1991. Result: an instant classic.

28. The Streets - Has It Come To This?

Original Pirate Material! The world was introduced to Mike Skinner and his lyrics with this excellent tune.

29. The Clash - White Riot

March 1977 saw the first broadside in the Clash's manifesto, this tribute to the troubles on the streets of the UK back in that turbulent year. They drove the point home on the b-side: 1977.

30. Kings Of Leon - Molly's Chambers

An odd one, this. The band's debut EP, Holy Roller Novocaine, featured Molly's Chambers as the lead track and arrived in February 2003. Then, Molly's was released again in its own right, as the band's SECOND single, in August. Well, it's a great track!

31. The Smiths - Hand In Glove

Morrissey called the release of the band's debut single on the Rough Trade label in May 1983 as one of the most important events in musical history. He was kind of right.

32. The xx - Crystalised

One of the band's best-loved songs was also their debut single, back in April 2009. It later appeared on their debut album, XX.

33. Kaiser Chiefs - Oh My God

The witty first single from Ricky Wilson and his pals was initially released on the Drowned In Sound label in May 2004.

34. Weezer - Undone (The Sweater Song)

Uber nerds Weezer made a splash in June 1994 with their ironic debut single, aided by an excellent Spike Jonze video.

35. Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name

What a way to kick off a career! Released in the UK in 2 November 1992, it only made No 25 in the UK charts on its first issue... but famously hit the top spot at Christmas 2009.

36. Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow

First released as a double A-side in March 2006 with The Bouncer on the flip, but the track was re-issued a year later with a Soulwax remix.

37. Stereophonics - Local Boy In The Photograph

Originally released in March 1997, this everyday tale of rail-based suicide only made No 51 in the UK charts, but hit 14 on its re-issue a year later.

38. Mumford And Sons - Little Lion Man

39. The Vaccines - Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)

40. Kasabian - Processed Beats

41. The Libertines - What A Waster

The unbeatable combination of What A Waster and I Get Along was the first missive from Pete 'n' Carl, back in June 2002. It didn't get much airplay, obviously.

42. LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge

Released in July 2002, this memorable rant from James Murphy set out the stall for LCD Soundsystem. Gil! Scott! Heron!

43. Oasis - Supersonic

The first single from the Gallaghers was this no-nonsense statement of intent. "I'm feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic."

44. The Wombats - Moving To New York

Young Murph had problems with his sleep when this song was originally released in October 2006. A reissue in January 2008 made No 13 in the UK charts.

45. The Strokes - Hard To Explain

The New Yorkers had issued the Modern Age EP in January 2001, but Hard To Explain, released in June, was their first "45" (as we used to say). It was backed with the searing New York City Cops, which soon ran into trouble in the aftermath of September 11th.

46. Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

The Australian band's best-remembered song was also their debut, released in September 2008, making No 6 in the UK.

47. New Order - Ceremony

OK, it's a bit of a cheat as New Order had been operating under the Joy Division name for three years. But following the death of singer Ian Curtis in May 1980, the remaining members reconvened to record the band's final material under their new name: New Order.

48. MGMT - Time To Pretend

Another odd one. Time To Pretend was the lead track from a 2005 EP released by the duo, but later received a release as their first single in the UK in March 2008.

49. The Cure - Killing An Arab

Robert Smith's debut single was released on the independent imprint Small Wonder in December 1978, but reissued on the Fiction label the following February. Radio programmers freaked at the A-side, which they took to be somewhat racist... rather than the punky tribute to the existentialist Albert Camus novel The Stranger that it actually was. They favoured the impressive B-side, 10.15 Saturday Night instead.